Food. Things To Do. Places. Brands. Stuff

Its day 23 of the November Nablopomo 2015 Challenge. I feel like I have writers block once more. It seems that the melancholy of Monday’s lead me straight to word bankruptcy. But I shall soldier on and finish this challenge. I need more things to put on my list of accomplishments for this year. It’s looking pretty scant at the moment. So this challenge will be finished.

So the prompt is “What do you do better than anyone else?” Maybe I have a problem with the prompt. It’s not that I lack confidence, I am sure I can list a a few things. But here’s the thing. I have always been my own competition. Not that I consider my standard any higher (or lower) than anyone else’s. But I don’t seek to measure myself by someone else’s yardstick.

Now this could be analysed in two ways. Either I do not have the competitive gene. That thing that pushes you to beat the crap out of any competitors. Not literally of course. But that thing that forces you to want to chase whomever is in front of you. Or want to get ahead of them.

Or maybe I am of the persuasion that there is always room to improve. Regardless of the level of mastery achieved in anything. Perhaps it’s why I remain a constant student of life. Always more to know and more to learn. Albert Einstein shared my philosophy. He said something along the lines of “The more I learn the more I realise the less I know.” Which is why, I couldn’t possibly claim to be better at something than anyone else. It’s just me. I need to be better than me in my last attempt at doing something. This also leads to other things like being perfectionistic and highly self-critical. But it’s all in my best interest. I have also learnt, with age, to give myself a lot more breaks. Maybe erring on the other side of that now. But I digress. The point is that I don’t compare myself to others. Each person’s story is theirs. And while they may appear to be good at one thing. Beating them or being better at something than them, does not mean I will be happy! Again, with age comes wisdom. Being better at something does not equate to the happiness you may think it will bring you. So choose your competitive arena wisely.

I am a pretty good baker. But I am not at patisserie chef level. And if I wanted to claim that I can bake better than anyone (most) people. I would have to do it at that level at least. I am also good at taking difficult concepts or complex information. Breaking it down into more easily digestible nuggets of information. Then on-sharing that info. But can I do it better than anyone else? No. Because there is always someone who has a better methodology or tactic for doing this. In most cases. I will find them and learn their ways! Not to beat them. But to make me better at doing that thing.

Of course anyone who has played a game of 30 seconds with me might provide a counter argument to my Zen-like self-perception around my (lack of a) competitive streak. But as everyone knows, when it comes to 30 Seconds. There is only winning!